two?”
Damian inhaled deeply. “Not better, but at least not worse. I guess that’s improvement.” He kissed my head. “I hate to admit it, but he’s got a point. Maybe it’s best if you don’t come here unless it’s necessary.”
“I just wanted to see you.”
That adorable impish gleam sparkled in his eye. “How about you come over to my house for a swim tomorrow? I’ll make up something to stay home.”
I bit my lip and sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not supposed to leave the house.”
“It’s just me, and I see you in the evenings anyway.”
My shoulders fell. “My parents said—”
“Do you always listen to your parents?”
I shifted my gaze to the floor. “I can’t.”
“Rules are meant to be broken, Kate.”
“Not for me,” I said softly.
“You don’t have to be the perfect daughter all the time.”
“Yes, I do.”
Damian crossed his arms waiting for me to explain.
I pursed my lips together. “My parents gave up everything for me when I was diagnosed. They quit their jobs in Nebraska, sold our house, put Granny in a nursing home, and moved here so I’d be under your father’s care. I can’t disappoint them.” Unable to stop them, the tears began to slip out. “They never counted on having a broken daughter.”
“Ah, shit,” Damian muttered, folding his arms around me. “You’re not broken, baby. You could never disappoint anyone.”
He snuggled me into his chest. I sobbed into his shirt, feeling his warmth surround me. He pressed his lips on my head.
“Come on. You’re gonna be late.” He pulled back and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“Yeah.” I sniffled and forced a smile. “We have to go all the way next door.”
Damian took my hand and walked with me to the chemo room where Leslie was unhooking a little boy at the end of his treatment. The child’s eyes were sunken in, and he looked pale. He still had a full head of hair.
Damian stood frozen in the doorway, shock visible in his sapphire eyes. I squeezed his hand once before letting go and walking over the boy. He couldn’t be older than nine.
“Hey, there,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m Kate.”
“Hi. I’m Brennan,” he said in a raspy voice.
I ruffled his hair. “Hang in there, bud. Leslie’s a great nurse.”
I didn’t see Damian come up next to me. “And you have a good doctor, kid.”
Brennan nodded, then walked over to where his mother and Leslie were speaking.
“That was a nice thing to say,” I said, looking up at Damian.
He shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
When Leslie finished with Brennan’s mother, she inserted the chemo tubes into my central line. “Thanks for your help today, Damian.”
I shot him a quick glance.
“Sure,” he said. “No problem.”
“Apple or orange, Kate?” Leslie asked.
“Apple.”
“Be right back.” She walked out the door.
“What was that about?” I asked as soon as Leslie had left.
“I don’t know. Just doing my job.”
I stared at him but decided not to probe. I searched for a deck of Rook cards in my purse, and we had time for half a hand before Leslie returned with my juice.
“Anything else?” she asked, looking not only at me, but also at Damian.
We both shook our heads.
“I’ll be out here if you need me.”
Damian and I played cards for a while until I asked, “Could you please find me some crackers? My stomach is turning.”
“Sure.” He gave me a swift kiss and left for the cafeteria.
As soon as he was gone, I stood up and walked to the door, peeking out. I saw him round the corner toward the elevators. After a couple minutes, my pole and I sauntered to the nurses’ station. I felt like a spy, my eyes darting around to make sure he had left.
Leslie glanced up from her paperwork, eyeing me suspiciously. “I just saw Damian walk by?”
“Yeah. I don’t have much time,” I whispered. “Why did you thank him? What did he do?”
Leslie grinned. “Curious, are we? He helped me clean up after a
Damian inhaled deeply. “Not better, but at least not worse. I guess that’s improvement.” He kissed my head. “I hate to admit it, but he’s got a point. Maybe it’s best if you don’t come here unless it’s necessary.”
“I just wanted to see you.”
That adorable impish gleam sparkled in his eye. “How about you come over to my house for a swim tomorrow? I’ll make up something to stay home.”
I bit my lip and sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not supposed to leave the house.”
“It’s just me, and I see you in the evenings anyway.”
My shoulders fell. “My parents said—”
“Do you always listen to your parents?”
I shifted my gaze to the floor. “I can’t.”
“Rules are meant to be broken, Kate.”
“Not for me,” I said softly.
“You don’t have to be the perfect daughter all the time.”
“Yes, I do.”
Damian crossed his arms waiting for me to explain.
I pursed my lips together. “My parents gave up everything for me when I was diagnosed. They quit their jobs in Nebraska, sold our house, put Granny in a nursing home, and moved here so I’d be under your father’s care. I can’t disappoint them.” Unable to stop them, the tears began to slip out. “They never counted on having a broken daughter.”
“Ah, shit,” Damian muttered, folding his arms around me. “You’re not broken, baby. You could never disappoint anyone.”
He snuggled me into his chest. I sobbed into his shirt, feeling his warmth surround me. He pressed his lips on my head.
“Come on. You’re gonna be late.” He pulled back and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“Yeah.” I sniffled and forced a smile. “We have to go all the way next door.”
Damian took my hand and walked with me to the chemo room where Leslie was unhooking a little boy at the end of his treatment. The child’s eyes were sunken in, and he looked pale. He still had a full head of hair.
Damian stood frozen in the doorway, shock visible in his sapphire eyes. I squeezed his hand once before letting go and walking over the boy. He couldn’t be older than nine.
“Hey, there,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m Kate.”
“Hi. I’m Brennan,” he said in a raspy voice.
I ruffled his hair. “Hang in there, bud. Leslie’s a great nurse.”
I didn’t see Damian come up next to me. “And you have a good doctor, kid.”
Brennan nodded, then walked over to where his mother and Leslie were speaking.
“That was a nice thing to say,” I said, looking up at Damian.
He shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
When Leslie finished with Brennan’s mother, she inserted the chemo tubes into my central line. “Thanks for your help today, Damian.”
I shot him a quick glance.
“Sure,” he said. “No problem.”
“Apple or orange, Kate?” Leslie asked.
“Apple.”
“Be right back.” She walked out the door.
“What was that about?” I asked as soon as Leslie had left.
“I don’t know. Just doing my job.”
I stared at him but decided not to probe. I searched for a deck of Rook cards in my purse, and we had time for half a hand before Leslie returned with my juice.
“Anything else?” she asked, looking not only at me, but also at Damian.
We both shook our heads.
“I’ll be out here if you need me.”
Damian and I played cards for a while until I asked, “Could you please find me some crackers? My stomach is turning.”
“Sure.” He gave me a swift kiss and left for the cafeteria.
As soon as he was gone, I stood up and walked to the door, peeking out. I saw him round the corner toward the elevators. After a couple minutes, my pole and I sauntered to the nurses’ station. I felt like a spy, my eyes darting around to make sure he had left.
Leslie glanced up from her paperwork, eyeing me suspiciously. “I just saw Damian walk by?”
“Yeah. I don’t have much time,” I whispered. “Why did you thank him? What did he do?”
Leslie grinned. “Curious, are we? He helped me clean up after a
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